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AS Tosses Passenger For Catcalling Flight Attendant

Alaska Airlines removed a man from a plane after he heckled a female flight attendant, calling out "Sexy!" as she demonstrated how to use a life vest.

The incident occurred early this week before a flight from SEA to BUR, Alaska spokeswoman Ann Zaninovich said.

Zaninovich provided few details other than to say that the airline stood behind the decision of the crew to remove the man from the flight. She also said an account of the incident posted on Facebook was accurate.

In that post, Amber D. Nelson of Los Angeles said a man in the row behind her began calling out to the flight attendant demonstrating the life vest. After the attendant asked the man to be respectful, he answered "C'mon, I'm just playing with you!" Nelson wrote.

As the man was escorted off the plane, he objected that he hadn't done anything wrong, according to Nelson.

Nelson praised AS for supporting the crew "and those of us on board who were demeaned by another passenger's juvenile and exceedingly disrespectful behaviour."

Airline employees have wide latitude to eject pax, who are often allowed to board a later flight. AS did not identify the passenger or say whether he took a later flight.

People who commented on Nelson's post – and there are hundreds of them - took both sides, with some applauding the airline and others saying the crew overreacted.

It makes for a fascinating conversation, especially in the overheated U.S. political environment, with sexual harassment a daily topic thanks to revelations about Donald Trump’s personal behaviour.

Bottom-line: a flight attendant performing a safety demonstration is working. Protecting her from the catcalls of pax is not political correctness run amok, or freedom of speech, as some Facebook commenters – male and female – would have it.

Here’s one comment that says it well, in our humble opinion: “This whole "waaaah freedom of speech" thing is such bullcrap. Sexually harassing a woman on a plane and getting called out for it isn't infringing on his human rights. It's protecting hers.” It’s also called a “Safety Demonstration” and pax are required to pay attention for a reason.

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